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Venice flooding in 1966 by By Unknown

Anyone who saw the recent footage of the Veneto seemingly sinking into the sea would have wanted to weep but fortunately the tides seem to have recessed this month. Venice is no stranger to flooding having been constructed over 118 islands with the water managed with engineering since the 12th century but this year’s flooding has covered 70% of the city with levels up to 156 cm. Even the longest pair of rain boots won’t address that problem. While the rest of us watched the devastation on television, the inhabitants of the Venice could only comfort themselves with friends, family and food. While thinking of the Veneto these past few weeks, I of course came to be thinking of Venetian food and one of our favourite dishes, baccalà mantecato (whipped dried cod),which will be part of our array of dishes for Christmas lunch.

Stockfish by Chris Zielecki

It has been to my utter disappointment that until now I have not been able to share a perfect recipe for baccalà mantecato. Part of the reason for this is that in the Veneto, the words for baccalà and stoccofisso have the exact opposite meanings as elsewhere in Italy. Baccalà in Veneto is dried cod whereas elsewhere in Italy, it is salt cod. Stoccofisso in Veneto means salt cod whereas in the rest of Italy it means dried cod. To add to the confusion, many of the abounding recipes for baccalà mantecato use salt cod and deliver a flavour unlike the one I so love when in Venice. (Side note: to further add to the confusion, there is a baccalà mantecato from Ferrara which does use salt cod cooked in milk but it is not whipped.)

Furthermore the texture has not been that easy to replicate until I began to understand that in many ways that making baccalà mantecato is like making a sauce, a mayonnaise to be exact, except without the egg. It apparently used to be made in a butter churn (zangola) which makes a lot of sense.

Gondolas in Venice

I know if you make it, you will enjoy it. It is perfect on toasted bread or grilled polenta. Do not be put off by the long preparation time, it is essentially soaking the fish and changing the water which takes a few seconds at a time. It is well worth the time and keeps for a while in the fridge. If you are having friends over for drinks, it is the perfect, elegant, antipasto served on small rounds of toasted bread (or polenta for gluten-free friends).

Soak the stockfish in enough water to cover for 3 days, changing the water as frequently as every 2 hours or as much as possible, keeping it in the fridge. I often only remember twice a day and it is fine.
Drain the water, remove the skin from the fish and put into a pot with 10 grams of salt for every litre of water and enough water to cover the fish. Add the bay leaves (and garlic and lemon if using). Bring the water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and remove the bones carefully before adding to the bowl of a standing mixer.
Heat the sunflower and olive oils together to 60C.
Add the paddle to the standing mixer and begin to mix the fish on low speed. Begin adding the oils, a little at a time, ensuring that the previous amount was absorbed before adding more. Continue like this for 20 minutes until all the oil has been added and the fish is firmly mashed.
Remove the fish and add to a food processor with the normal blade attachment. Taste and begin adding the reserved cooking water as needed (about 75 to 100 mls). Puree the mixture until there are no chunks and it has emulsified. Add salt to taste and puree until well dispersed.
Enjoy!

Hazelnuts are one of our favourite ingredients. Their intense nutty flavour combined with chocolate, honey, pears or cream make a perfect autumn dessert. Hazelnut cake is a traditional cake from Piedmont which is renowned for their hazelnuts many of which make their way into Ferrero Roche.

Hazelnut trees

This cake has only 3 ingredients but feel free to add some chocolate chips or serve it alongside whipped cream, vanilla or chocolate ice cream and/or poached pears. I saute ripe pears with butter, honey and vanilla and serve them alongside as a bit of contrast. It is equally good served simply on its own and is a surprisingly light dessert. As there are only 3 ingredients, the key to an amazing cake is using tasty hazelnuts. Toast the hazelnuts up and check their flavour first.

Torta di nocciole (hazelnut cake) – Piemonte

This recipe has the extra added bonus of being traditionally dairy and gluten free. For an illustrated step-by-step guide, click here.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Chop the hazelnuts finely, being careful not to over grind them and make hazelnut butter.

Whip the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixer on medium speed until it has doubled in volume and turned a light golden colour.

Whip the egg whites together in a mixer over low speed until foamy. Increase the speed on the mixer until fluffy and white and you start to see the beater marks remain in the foam. Dip the beater in and pull it out to see if a foamy peak forms and folds over on itself (soft peak). Be careful not to over beat the whites until they look dry.

Add ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture using a spatula to fold them together. Be careful when mixing not to lose the air that has just been beaten in.

Add the rest of the egg white mixture and the chopped hazelnuts, folding in gently with the spatula, ensuring that even the bottom of the bowl is well combined.

Grease and flour or line with paper a cake tin. Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

NOTES

To remove the skins of the hazelnut, place in boiling water for 1 minute, drain the water and place the hazelnuts in a tea towel. Rub the hazelnuts in the tea towel until the skins come off.
To toast the hazelnuts, place on a baking tray in a single layer in a 160C oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden.

Cacio e pepe appears at first glance to be a simple Italian dish. There are only 3 ingredients, although this could also be said of bread (which everyone knows to be more complicated to make well than it may seem). Cacio e pepe appears to be just pasta stirred together with some pecorino cheese and lots of freshly ground black pepper. If only it was this simple. The reason why I have waited so long to share this favourite Roman dish is that I could not find a way to make it foolproof (myself being the chief fool in this case).

Pecorino

I have tried every trick in the book, getting the ingredients to the right temperature, tossing, not stirring, stirring over heat energetically, stirring less, the list is endless. I could not find a method where one did not end up with clumps of cheese. A trip to Rome last year included visits to the famed Taverna Trilussa which dished up Roman classics such as cacio pepe table-side. This offered a front row seat on how to make cacio e pepe the Roman way. Sadly, even this did not result in success for me.

The Trevi Fountain at dawn

Campo dei Fiori market

One morning I woke up before dawn to head down to the Campo dei Fiori market, passing the Trevi Fountain at the first hint of dawn. The fountain lit in this light, relatively desolate in these early hours, was a highlight on its own. Continuing on past vendors roasting chestnuts, I was in search of certain companions in these early hours, bakers. I found first Roscioli, living up to its fame with a spectacular selection of hot breads and baked goods. While famous for their Roman pizza (thinner crust than the Neapolitan version), they are also well known for their carbonara and cacio e pepe. Their method for cacio e pepe (which is also a base they use in their carbonara and amatriciana) was a real eye opener…..and fool proof. It involves a bit of advance preparation of blending tepid water with grated cheese and then refrigerating it but saves all the stress and heartache at serving time when the hope-filled eyes of hungry diners are upon you. Even better, this concoction can live in your fridge for a month, ready for any time a last-minute cacio e pepe, amatriciana or carbonara is required.

Cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper pasta) – Lazio

The method here is Roscioli’s but they use a mixture of pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses with different proportions. Traditionally, cacio e pepe is made with only pecorino as it is here. For small children, I serve them the pasta without the pepper and add pepper to the adult portions. For illustrated step-by-step instructions, click here.

In a blender, mix well the pecorino cheese with 190 mls tepid water to make a fine cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set.

When ready to eat, heat a large pot with 4 litres of water and 40 grams of salt (the salt will be washed away). Boil the pasta, stirring occasionally to ensure that it does not stick. Do not add oil to the water, the amount of water should ensure the pasta does not stick. Cook for the amount indicated on the pasta packaging minus 5 minutes. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and do not rinse.

In a cold saute pan, add the drained pasta, the cheese cream and 40 mls of the pasta cooking water, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon to coat the pasta and using the back of the spoon to smash up any clumps of cheese before it starts to coagulate. Turn the heat on to medium and continue to stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper to taste. 6 grams will make it lightly peppery and 10 grams should make it plenty fiery. Serve immediately.

Having grown up in California, I’ve always been bemused by the idea of deep-fried food having anything in particular to do with the seaside. In Britain, fish and chips is almost synonymous of the seaside and in Italy a nice fritto misto (battered and deep-fried mixed seafood) is often a highlight of coastal restaurants’ menus. Seaside Naples is the king of frittura (deep-frying) where deep-fried street food is taken to a whole new level. Friggitoria (deep-fried food shops) offer a selection of deep-fried pasta (frittina di pasta), potato croquettes (crocchè), rice croquettes (arancini or supplì), salt cod (baccalà), anchovies, aubergine, courgette/zucchine, polenta (scagliozzi), dough (pasta cresciuta or zeppoline), courgette/zucchini flowers (ciurilli), prawns, calamari and last, but definitely not least, panzarotti (pizza turnovers).

A friggitoria in Salerno

Zeppoline (fried dough)

Historically, it was rare to have an oven at home and food to be baked was brought to the baker to be placed in the oven. Everyone could deep-fry however, so fried pizza was more accessible than baked pizza. One only needs to see the inevitable crowd of people around a shop makingpanzarotti to witness its universal appeal. When a hot panzarotto, wrapped in paper, is placed in your waiting hand, it seems like an eternity until its molten filling is cool enough to not risk a scalded tongue. The fried dough on its own would be intoxicating enough but the tangy tomato and creamy, oozing cheese filling puts this snack at a completely different level.

The filling proportions were given to me by my chef friend, Emanuele, and produce a perfect creamy to tangy contrast. It is also perfectly acceptable to add ricotta or smoked provola cheeses, egg, parsley, salami or prosciutto. For step-by-step illustrated instructions, click here.

Mix the flour, milk, water, yeast, salt and olive oil together, being careful to keep the salt and yeast separate until well mixed. Form a ball and let sit covered in a bowl for 20 minutes. Turn the dough out on the greased surface and pull each side and fold it into the middle (see technique here). Turn the ball over onto the folded ends and place back in a bowl and cover for half an hour. Repeat pulling the sides again and place back in the bowl as before, covered for half an hour. Divide the dough into 8 evenly sized pieces and roll out into rounds.

Fill each round in the centre with 15 mls bechamel sauce, 15 mls tomato sauce, 15 grams mozzarella and 5 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges to form a crescent.

Place some kitchen paper on a plate. Heat olive oil or peanut oil to 180/190C. Add 1 or 2 at a time and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden, turn over with a perforated spoon and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the dough is finished. When cool enough, eat immediately.

Abruzzo is the most unexpected region we have visited to date. The dramatic landscape, the forlorn hilltop towns with their maze-like centres, the warmth of the people and the rustic comfort food make it a region we will be back to visit again soon. Despite being about a ninety minute drive from Rome, Abruzzo does not make it on most people’s lists of places to visit. It had always been on my radar and when were invited to pick saffron during the children’s holiday from school last October, I could not refuse. We were not disappointed.

Campo Imperatore

We stayed in Rome for 2 days and then drove over to Abruzzo, stopping just over the border in Carsoli at L’Angolo d’Abruzzo for platters of local salumi, homemade pastas made from ancient grains and grilled pork, scamorza cheese, lamb, veal and beef accompanied by roasted porcini mushrooms and deep-fried battered courgette/zucchini flowers stuffed with burrata cheese and anchovies. It was a triumph of a countryside lunch and an impressive introduction to the region.

Grilled scamorza cheese with prosciutto

Abruzzese mastif

Abruzzese mastif pups

Anversa degli Abruzzi and Sulmona

We went to Anversa degli Abruzzi to stay at Porta dei Parchi, an organic agriturismo (holiday farm) that uses sustainable energy sources to make cheese and salami. We arrived in time for lambs to be born and my children were astonished by how quickly the number of adorable lambs multiplied during our stay. There were also pigs, ducks, chickens, donkeys, goats and innumerable kittens and Abruzzese mastif puppies. These dogs are typical throughout Abruzzo as they are the traditional shepherd dog, excellent at guarding livestock.

Porta dei Parchi

A baby lamb born during our stay

Baby lambs being numbered with their mother

My children meeting the new lamb

Mother and baby reunited

For dinner that night we were presented with platters of homemade cheeses (smoked ricotta – with juniper, with tomato and chilli, with black truffle, with herbs and with garlic and onion, semi-mature pecorino cheese, mature pecorino cheese) and salumi (liver sausage, lamb sausage and prosciutto).

Homemade cheeses

Homemade salumi

The view from Porta dei Parchi

A country wander in Porta dei Parchi

Very near to Anversa d’Abruzzo is Sulmona, a Baroque town synonymous in many Italian’s minds with sugar coated almonds known as confetti given at weddings and as the birthplace of the Roman poet, Ovid. The most famous of the confetti producers is Pelino whose factory and museum we visited. Confetti were first created at the end of the 15th century by the nuns at the Santa Chiara convent. They have a permanent presence at weddings as it is said the bitter almonds and the sweet sugar are representative of the ups and downs of marriage. At Pelino, they come in an astounding array of coloured flower bouquets and even adorable figurines for the children. Many are works of art in their own right. They can be made with almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate and/or candied fruit. While in Sulmona, its worth stopping at the Palazzo de”Annunziata to see four centuries of Sulmonese art. On Tuesday mornings there is also a food market in the historic centre of town.

The Pelino factory and museum

Sugar coated almonds made into flowers

A confetti masterpiece

The factory where the almonds are coated in sugar

The cuisine of inland Abruzzo is focused on a sort of pastoral cuisine with their local cheeses such as scamorza, Canestrato, caciocavallo, Caciofiore and ricotta and local salumi such as salami, sausages, prosciutto and Mortadella di Campotosto (easily identified by its core of pure white lard). It is also rich in tiny, delicate lentils like those from Santo Stefano di Sessiano, farro (emmer wheat), ancient wheat grains such as Solina, honey, dried figs from Atessa, chickpeas and saffron from Navelli, red garlic from Sulmona, beans from Paganica, grapes, potatoes, sweet peppers, white onions and black truffles. In Sulmona, Pignatelli Tartufi produce an array of truffle products such as truffle sauces, truffle honey and truffle oil which can be purchased at their shop downtown. Try La Fiaccola in Anversa degli Abruzzi for truffle dishes. North of Sulmona in Pratola Peligna, stop by Masciarelli, a family-run, traditional pasta maker since 1867, to stock up on pasta made from locally grown wheat.

Scanno

Heading south from Anversa degli Abruzzi, the stunning countryside of the Gran Sasso National Park offers views of Alpine-like lakes, historic hillside towns and mountain passages. We were hoping to make it to Scanno and then onwards to three scenic mountain towns: Rivisondoli, Pescocostanzo and Roccarso but decided to spend more time around Scanno.

Scanno Lake, legend has it that it was formed by a feud between a witch and a sorcerer. The lake was formed when the witch fell.

In Scanno itself, there is a famous pastry shop, Pan dell’Orso Pasticceria, renowned for its invention of the Pan dell’Orso, an almond and honey cake coated with chocolate. They are also known for their mostaccioli biscuits made using a 18th century recipe. The bakery’s philosophy is to recreate local, ancient flavours but using more modern techniques.

Mostaccioli with a soft centre made with a traditional recipe from Pan dell’Orso Pasticceria

Advertisement for the Pan dell’Orso showing the traditional dress for ladies from Scanno

There is also an artisanal biscuit bakery, Biscotteria Artigianale, which specialise in mostaccioli (chocolate, almond and grape must biscuits) as well and an enormous chocolate and almond biscuit called the Biscotto di Prato. Many people come to Scanno for outdoor sports such as canoeing, fishing, windsurfing, mountain biking and skiing. Scanno has some lovely churches and architecture and is also famous for its elaborate gold jewellery and lace making.

Scanno

Scanno‘s gold filigree jewellery

Biscotteria Artigianale

Mostaccioli (chocolate, almond and grape must biscuits) from Biscotteria Artigianale

Navelli and its saffron

We headed north to Navelli in the wee hours of the morning in time to catch the new crocus buds emerging from the earth. The morning was still quite chilly and excitedly, with frozen fingers, we worked to gently pick the buds from the bottom and collect them in baskets. Gina Sarra greeted us in the field encouraging the children to pick the buds and showing them how the stamina inside, when dried, would become saffron (sometimes called red gold due to the high prices it commands).

My son collecting crocus buds

A basket of crocus buds

Gina Sarra and my son collecting buds

The view from the field down into the valley below

Crocus sativus buds

When our hard work was finished we decamped to Gina’s house to warm up with some hot coffee. We were mesmerised by her aunt who was adeptly twisting the base of the buds to separate the stamens from the petals. In the time that the 5 of us managed to do a small pile of flowers, her aunt easy amassed a large pile of stamens. We now appreciate why saffron is one of the most expensive foods available. It takes around 150,000 crocus flowers to make 1 kilo of dried saffron! Fortunately a little goes a long way.

Demonstrating how to twist open a crocus sativus bud: step 1- grab the bud by its base

Step 2: twist your fingers

Step 3: expose the stigma and separate

Gina’s aunt chatting as she separates the out the saffron’s red stigma from its yellow stamen and purple petals

Red saffron stigma, the yellow stamen and the purple petals

The saffron once its is dried and packaged.

Calascio and Castel del Monte

We next stayed at the nearly abandoned town of Calascio, home to extraordinary Rocca di Calascio, the highest fortress in the Apennines mountains. The fortress was constructed between the 10th and 13th centuries and was badly damaged in a earthquake in the 15th century. Hiking up and viewing the surrounding countryside was a highlight of our trip.

View from Calascio town

The Rocca di Calascio fortress

The Rocca di Calascio fortress

Santa Maria della Pietà, an octagonal church built in the seventeenth century located next to the Rocca di Calascio

Rocca di Calascio

Santa Maria della Pietà church seen from the Rocca di Calascio

Nearby Calascio we stopped in a roadside restaurant, La Cabina in San Pio delle Camere, for a satisfying lunch of pasta with sausages, porcini mushroom and saffron, pasta with black truffles, pasta with saffron, guanciale and ricotta, black truffle omelettes and grilled sausages.

One of my favourite things to do is visit cheesemakers. In neighbouring Castel del Monte, a beautiful medieval village, just happens to live Giulio Petronio. Mr. Petronio is one of the only producers of Canestrato di Castel del Monte, a pecorino cheese which was on the brink of extinction. It is made with milk only from the Sopravvissane or Gentili di Puglia sheep, natural rennet and salt. The cheese was traditionally made with milk from the sheep which were part of the transhumance (transumanza), an ancient Italian biannual tradition where large flocks of sheep were migrated from the Apennines in Abruzzo during the summer (including nearby Campo Imperatore) to the more temperate coastal plains in Puglia in the winter. There are up to 300 different forage plants in the Gran Sasso which create ideal conditions for sheep farming. The Canestrato di Castel del Monte is pressed into shape with characteristic basket markings on the rind. It is aged for at least 2 months and is rubbed with olive oil to prevent it from drying out.

The curds beginning to form in the milk

The curds being added to the perforated baskets to make ricotta

Ricotta

Making cheese

Soaking the cheese in brine

Aging the cheeses

Finally the cheese is ready to be labelled Canestrato di Castel del Monte

Santo Stefano di Sessiano

Santo Stefano di Sessiano is one of the most beautiful medieval villages in the Gran Sasso National Park. Many of the buildings date between the 11th and 15th centuries but the picturesque village is largely abandoned. It reminded us of the small towns along the south of France. Santo Stefano di Sessiano is known for its tiny, delicate lentils and a luxury hotel, Sextantio (the town’s name in Roman times) which is diffused throughout the town. The pinnacle of the town was the Medici tower which fell during the earthquake in nearby L’Aquila. It was being reconstructed when we visited.

Santo Stefano di Sessiano

Santo Stefano di Sessiano

Sextantio – The diffused hotel – making use of residences throughout the village for hotel rooms

Santo Stefano di Sessiano

Tiny, delicate lentils from Santo Stefano di Sessiano

Campo Imperatore

A visit to Campo Imperatore, where Mussolini was imprisoned during World War II, was the absolute highlight of the trip. This 19 kilometre long wide plateau is 1,800 meters above sea level. In ancient times, shepherds brought their sheep from Puglia, Campania and Tuscany to graze here during the summer months. The transhumance has had a huge cultural impact on the areas affected. For nearly two thousand years, livestock have been brought to pasture here and thousands are still brought here to graze every May. Mr. Petronio explained to me when I visited his cheesemaking factory that 100 years ago, 500,000 sheep used to graze on the Camp Imperatore. He said when he was a child there were 30,000 sheep in Castel Del Monte alone and 5-6,000 in Calascio. Today there are a total of 13,000 sheep from all over. The transhumance used grassy paths (tratturi) to bring the sheep to pasture and one of the most important started at San Pio delle Camere and finished in Foggia, Puglia (a 15 day walk) where taxes were collected for pasturing.

Campo Imperatore

Horses grazing in Campo Imperatore

Campo Imperatore

Campo Imperatore

We visited to see the spectacular scenery dotted with roaming horses, cattle and sheep. There are two restaurants on the plateau where we could buy raw meat and cheese for grilling. The restaurant set up the grill and provided bread, wine and water for purchase. A favourite amongst the Abruzzese are arrosticini (tiny cubes of lamb meat skewered and grilled). The children ran in all directions, trying to get closer to the livestock while we grilled. Everyone slept well that night.

Mucciante– the place to stop and buy food to grill

Caciocavallo cheese

Sausages for sale to grill outside

Arrosticini (small cubes of lamb, skewered and grilled)

L’Aquila

Legend has it L’Aquila was founded in the 13th century when 99 castles joined together to form a city. In the city, each castle had its own church, fountain or piazza. L’Aquila was a jewel of a town with a long history and truly amazing architecture. Sadly the town was devastated by an earthquake in 2009. The town remains under reconstruction today although the impressive facades of many of the Baroque and Renaissance buildings remain. If you go to the castle, do stop into the wine shop, La Fenice. They have an impressive collection and knowledge of local and national wine, including wines from Loreto Aprutino (an area in Abruzzo producing top quality wine).

The 16th century Chiesa di San Bernardino (closed when we visited)

Piazza del Duomo, L’Aquila

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Suffragio

The formidable 16th century castle, home to the National Museum of Abruzzo

The 13th century Fountain of 99 Water Spouts

L’Aquila is also home to Fratelli Nurzia, producers of fine, soft torrone aquilano (honey nougat- try the chocolate and hazelnut and white torrone with almonds varieties) since 1835 so don’t forget to buy a box to take home. They have a bar in Piazza del Duomo (closed when we visited). We also visited newer torrone producer, just outside L’Aquila called Dolci Aveja to tour their factory and sample their decadent products. Only top, super-fresh ingredients are used at Dolci Aveja. We were given a tour by Mariano and Maria Teresa whose family own the bakery. It was evident how much thought and consideration was put into each creation as they tried to create the best product possible. Their torrone and ferratelle (waffle biscuits) were the best we tried the entire trip. The way their chocolate broke (one of the tests for fine chocolate) and melted was perfect. It is a real joy to visit a producer that cares so much about their product and manage to create such fine products.

Fratelli Nurzia torrone

Biscuits at Dolci Aveja

Dolci Aveja’s Ferratelle (anise-flavoured waffle biscuits typical of Abruzzo) which can be served with icing sugar, sandwiching grape jam or rolled and stuffed with sweet saffron-flavoured ricotta, custard or chocolate custard

Iron for making ferratelle biscuits

Dolci Aveja’s biscotti di latte – sponge biscuits

Dolce Aveja’s torroncini – an absolute must try

Paganica and Oricola

Reluctantly we looped back down to catch our flight from Rome, stopping in Paganica to visit their famous butcher, Ugo DePaulis. DePaulis has for three generations been producing top quality salumi from locally grown livestock from the Gran Sasso using traditional methods. They are most famous for their Cuore di Paganica, a giant, flavourful but delicate culatello (the best part of the prosciutto). We were not disappointed. Their guanciale, cured pig’s cheek flavoured with pepper and chilli and smoked, which was a staple for the shepherd’s in the Apennines is an essential in many dishes including amatriciana, was also delicious.

Cuore di Paganica– a large culatello

We stopped at an organic agriturismo, AgriQuartuccio, in Oricola on our way back for lunch and joined long tables of Italian families gathered for a Sunday lunch. There were play areas for the children outside and donkeys, sheep and pigs. The menu was seasonal so changes frequently but everything was delicious and a perfect end to a perfect trip. Next we need to explore Chieti and the coastal areas of Abruzzo.

Steak

Spaghetti with guanciale and saffron

What to see:

Carsoli:

L’Angolo d’Abruzzo

This restaurant has been run by the Centofanti family since 1986 with the philosophy of respect for the land, sustainable agriculture and sheep farming. It is a classic Abruzzese country style restaurant with a great wine list.

Oricola:

AgriQuartuccio Agriturismo Biologico

This agriturismo was the perfect Sunday lunch spot in the countryside with plenty of space for children to run, excellent food, animals to see and even a pool in hotter months. The menu is seasonal but everything we tried was delicious.

Anversa degli Abruzzi:

Porta dei Parchi

An agriturismo, farm school and restaurant. They even have a program where you can adopt a sheep and you receive its annual production of cheese and wool. They do farming classes for children or you can learn cheese production, spend the day as a shepherd or learn how to harvest nuts or olives or make jam.

Confetti Pelino

Confetti Pelino was started by Bernardino Pelino in 1783 with a commitment to using only the best sugar, almonds and natural vanilla that continues today.

Recommended: Try the almond, hazelnut, almond with chocolate and the soft confetti in various flavours – nutella, fruit, rum, etc. Its worth a stop to see their incredible creations and take the time to visit the museum.

Pratola Peligna:

Pastaficio Masciarelli

A family run pasta maker since 1867 using slow drying techniques and bronze dies to make 17 pasta shapes and sizes. The flour is from Campobasso’s Ferro mill and the pastas carry the Parco Nazionale della Majella seal.

Scanno:

Pan dell’Orso Pasticceria

This is considered one of the best bakeries in Abruzzo and in Italy. It is a family run bakery with many original creations as well as modern takes on traditional recipes. Their mostaccioli recipe is from the 18th century and features a soft centre. There are mandy different biscuits, pastries and sweet breads. They invented the Pan dell’Orso, the signature sweet of Scanno made of a honey and almond cake coated in chocolate.

A biscuit shop famous for their mostaccioli (chocolate, almond and wine must biscuits), scarponi (biscuits made with walnuts and grape must), biscotti di prato verde (an enormous chocolate and almond biscuit) and mandorle ratterrate (sweets made with almonds, cocoa and grape must).

Mucciante is one of the two restaurants in Campo Imperatore. Grab some raw meat and cheese inside and they will fire up the grill. Sit at one of the picnic tables and enjoy the scenery and freshly grilled meat. Bring your own vegetables….and possibly some oven mitts. Definitely try the arrosticini (small cubes of lamb skewered). The veal and sausage are also worth trying.

Azienda Zootecnica “Gran Sasso” di Giulio Petronio

Canestrato di Castel del Monte is a pecorino cheese with characteristic basket markings on the rind and which can be tasted fresh, semi-mature or mature. Giulio Petronio is one of the only producers of this cheese which was saved from the brink of extinction.

L’Aquila:

La Fenice Enoteca Wine Bar

A truly phenomenal wine shop expertly run by knowledgeable staff. A paradise for oenophiles and a good place for novices to learn a lot more about local wine and wine from all over Italy. Also a great place to grab a bite or a coffee.

Dolce Aveja

A family run sweet shop producing excellent pastries, torrone and liquors from top ingredients. They do factory tours but if you see their products, especially the torroncini and ferratelle, do try them.

Paganica:

De Paulis Ugo

Renowned butcher run by a three generations by the De Paulis family. They use traditional methods to make some of the best local salumi such as culatello (Cuore di Paganica), prosciutto flavoured with pepper and aged for 6 months, capocollo bathed in Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine, liver salami flavoured with mountain honey (fegato di Paganica) and liver sausage (salsiccia di fegato aquilana).

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The tender tips of asparagus are emerging with much trepidation after a gruelling winter followed by a false start to spring. I not only adore their unique flavour but the joy that asparagus are one of the only foods which even the Queen can delight in eating with her hands. Since we are currently straddling two seasons, I feel this recipe is apt: asparagus gratin; the flavour of a spring vegetable served hot under a blanket of melted cheese to counteract the chill of early spring. It is also a simple recipe so we can spend as much time outside as possible soaking up some much needed Vitamin D. Tender stalks of asparagus with the woody bottoms snapped off are briefly steamed and dusted with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The whole thing is whacked under the grill until the cheese has turned crunchy and golden.

Preheat your grill to the second to hottest setting. If there is only one setting, set the level slightly further away from the element.
Snap off the woody base of the asparagus, moving your fingers up from the blunt end and wiggling until you find a more flexible part and then snap off the end. For fatter stems with more waxy skins, peel the asparagus from below the tips with a vegetable peeler.
Place the asparagus in a steamer until half way cooked (up to 7 minutes for fat asparagus).
Prepare a large bowl of cold water and add ice. Plunge the asparagus into the ice water to stop the cooking. When cool, remove and drain fully.
Grease a grill-proof baking tray with the olive oil and place the asparagus on the tray. Drizzle the 20 mls of olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over top.
Grill the asparagus until the cheese is melted and golden, up to 15 minutes. Be vigilant as the grill can easily scorch anything in seconds.

The translation of the name of this dish is Genovese meatloaf. Except that there is no meat. Now before my meat-loving friends begin to turn their noses skyward, this dish is utterly delicious and completely traditional. It just happens to be named meatloaf due to its form. As the second part of its name suggests, it hails from Liguria, Genova to be exact, where the cuisine has a strong vegetable streak due to its inhabitants spending plenty of time at sea missing fresh vegetables. To give you a better idea of what this recipe produces, I have tried to improve on its name and call it a casserole. Mashed potatoes are mixed with vegetables, eggs and cheese, topped with breadcrumbs and baked into a delicious mess.

Trombette courgettes/zucchini in Liguria

This is a great starter which works well as a main for any vegetarians. It could also be served as a side dish with a meaty meatloaf and be the vegetarian option. The vegetables change with the season but generally your options are courgettes, peas, artichokes, runner beans, green beans, dried mushrooms and carrots.

Boil the potatoes in their skins until a fork can easily pierce them. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and either rice or mash the potatoes. Add 50 grams butter, 100 mls milk and salt and pepper to taste to the potatoes. Set aside.

Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water.

Next add the carrots to the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water.

Finally, add the peas to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water.

Drain the vegetables from the water and set aside.

Saute the onion, garlic and courgette together with the remaining 20 grams butter and the olive oil until soft. Add this, the blanched vegetables, the cheese, eggs and salt and pepper to taste to the potatoes and mix well.

In an oven proof dish, grease the dish with olive oil and sprinkle breadcrumbs around the dish. Add the potato mixture to the dish and smooth over the top. Top with breadcrumbs and drizzle over olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and it is heated through.

Buckwheat tends to be associated with soba noodles, Brittany crepes and kasha (Russian buckwheat grains). While buckwheat is tends to be associated with wheat, it is in fact not a wheat at all or even a grass. The seeds of the buckwheat are a cereal which are related to rhubarb and sorrel and are enjoying a surge in popularity as they are gluten free. In the Alps of the Lombardia (Valtellina), Trentino Alto-Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia-Giulia, buckwheat pops up on menus in bread, polenta (usually mixed together with corn and called polenta taragna), frittatas (schmarn di grano saraceno), pasta (pizzocheri), soup (zuppa di grano saraceno), dumplings (canederli di grano saraceno), pancakes (cicc and sciatt), in cakes sandwiching jam like the one below and on its own cooked with milk and served with browned butter and syrup. In Italian, the word for buckwheat is “grano saraceno” meaning arab wheat. It is hypothesised that perhaps the Arabs introduced buckwheat to Italy and so it was named for them. Another supposition is that it was named thus for its dark colour.

Buckwheat has a nutty, earthy flavour that is deeply comforting. It was historically considered a food for the pure as white refined flour was considered more refined. For farmworkers, buckwheat was nourishing and provided the calories needed for high energy work. Today, buckwheat is thought to calm the nervous system and benefit the intestinal system. Buckwheat cake is a deeply satisfying cake that everyone, including celiacs, can enjoy.

Whip the butter, egg yolks and 150 grams of the sugar until soft and fluffy and has lightened in colour.

In a separate bowl, mix together the buckwheat flour, almonds, vanilla and baking powder. Add this to the butter mixture.

In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining 100 grams of sugar to stiff peaks. Take a spoonful of the egg whites and stir it through the buckwheat mixture. Fold the rest of the egg whites into the buckwheat mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden stick poked in the middle comes out dry. Le the cake cool. Cut in half horizontally and use a cake lifter or clean board or cardboard wrapped in foil to lift the top half off. Spread lingonberry jam across the bottom half and put the top back on. Alternatively, the cake can remain intact and the jam spread across the top of the cake. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.

These delicate, lemony biscuits are a hint that winter is over and Easter is on its way. They are deceptively robust so they actually are the perfect dipping biscuit to accompany tea, coffee or even hot chocolate. Dipped in chocolate, Esse biscuits transform into a decadent standalone treat.

Burano by Raging Wire

Esse biscuits are traditionally made at home for Christmas and Easter and are dipped in sweet wine (vin santo) or even dry white wine. Today, these popular biscuits can be found in pastry shops. In Burano, an island in the Venetian lagoon, the Esse di Burano biscuits were traditionally made by the fishwives for their husbands to take to sea as they are long-lasting. My children love to make them and invariably they want the letter of their own name instead of the S.

Esse biscuits may also add 15 grams of baking powder (1 tablespoon) to the mixture with the flour, can also be flavoured with aniseed liqueur or rum and can served sprinkled with icing sugar. There is also a Jewish variation, bisse degli ebrei, which substitute olive oil for the butter. For illustrated step-by-step instructions, click here.

Beat together the sugar, butter, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy and has lightened in colour. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between. Add the flour and mix to combine. Be careful not to overmix after adding the flour as you don’t want gluten strands to form and toughen the biscuit. Place the mixture into a piping bag with a large, fluted tip and place the refrigerator to firm up a bit.

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper and pipe out the biscuits into “S” shapes on the parchment. Bake for 20 minutes.